Snap ring removing tool



Dec. 3, 1963 J. E. WAGONER SNAP RING REMOVING TOOL Filed Aug. 10. 1961 FIG. 2.

IN VEN TOR. JAMES E. WAGONER BY ArmRA/Ers' United States Patent 3,112,569 SNAP RENE REMDVING T881. .i mes Wagoner, danta Monica, (Salli, assignor to Eddie Artinian, North Hollywood, Calif. Filed Aug. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 130,638 2 Claims. (Cl. 29-229) This invention relates generally to tools and more particularly to an improved tool for removing split rings such as snap rings, lock rings, and the like from cylindrical members.

Conventional snap rings, lock rings, and the like may be removed by biasing the ends of the ring structure apart. Many different types of tools have been designed for this specific purpose. Generally, these tools take the form of an arcuate plate member terminating in a tip portion which may be employed to engage one end or the split ring. By rotating the arcuate tool and properly carnming an edge portion thereof, one end of the split ring may be lifted from the shaft or other cylindrical member to which it is affixed and the ring worked loose. Other types of split ring removing tools include plier or scissor like structures in which both ends of the ring may be engaged through suitable eyelets and the same circumferentially expanded.

There are many constructions in which snap or look type rings are relatively inaccessible. In such instances, it is difiicult to employ conventional tools for removing these rings. in fact, it is oientirnes easier to use a screw driver and hammer and simply pry the ring loose. In other situations, an arcuate type snap ring remover cannot effectively be employed unless there is provided some means of preventing circumferential movement of the snap ring itself. Thus, after engagement of one end of the ring, if the other end is not held, an attempt to remove the ring results in circular sliding movement of the ring itself about the shaft or cylindrical member.

With the foregoing in mind, the primary objects of this invention are to provide a greatly improved split ring r moving tool which is particularly designed for inaccessible places and in which it is not necessary that one end of the split ring be held to prevent rotation of the ring about the shaft or other cylindrical member to which it is ailiXed.

Briefly, these objects are realized by providing a removing tool in the form of a plate memberd having longitudinally extending leg portions generally parallel to each other and preferably constituting integral extensions of opposite sides of the plate. The ends of these legs are arranged to straddle a portion of a shaft or cylinder to engage the ends of a split ring. A projecting stop portion is provided between the legs and terminates short of the ends of the legs. With this structure, it is possible to urge the plate member normally towards the axis of the cylindrical member about which the ring is affixed, thereby forcing the ends of the ring down either side of the cylindrical member simultaneously. The legs themselves in straddling the shaft to effect this action will be biased apart to follow the ends of the ring. The stop structure will limit the movement of the plate to avoid damaging the legs.

A better understanding of the invention will be had by now referring to a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FlGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the split ring removing tool of this invention preparatory to removing a split ring from a cylindrical member; and,

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing a subsequent stage during the removing process.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, there is shown by way of example a shaft or cylindrical member 16 upon which is mounted a split ring 11 which may constitute a snap or lock type ring. As shown, the ends of the ring 11 are disposed at 12 and 13 such that a majority of the circumference of the cylindrical member 1%) is surrounded by the ring, the ring being held on the cylinder by its natural spring resiliency.

The removing tool itself comprises an elongated plate 14 having legs 15 and 16 parallel to each other and forming integral extending portions of opposite sides of the plate. As shown, the legs 15 and 15 terminate in end portions 17 and 18 which may be positioned to engage the ends 12 and 13 of the split ring 11. The plate 14 also includes a central projecting portion 19 between the legs 15 and 16 and terminating in an end 29 short of the ends 17 and 18 of the legs.

The distance between the end of the central portion 19 and the ends of the legs 15 and 16 is indicated by the letter d FlGURE l and this distance is made at least as great as the radius R of any cylindrical member about which a split ring is provided and which is to be removed by the tool.

In operation, the plate 14 is positioned such that the ends of the legs 15 and 16 straddle the cylindrical member 19 to engage the ends 12 and 13, respectively, of the split ring 11. By now urging the plate 14 downwardly in the direction of the arrow 21 in FIGURE 2 as by tapping with a hammer, the legs 15 and 16 will biased apart as a consequence of the cylindrical shape of the member 18. The downward movement of the legs while being biased apart pushes against the ends 12 and 13 of the ring 11 and thus causes circumferential expansion of the ring ll. The end portions 17 and 18 of the legs l5 and 16 will follow down circumferentially opposite sides of the member it? push ng against the ends 12 and 13 of the ring 11 until these ends pass diametrically opposite points of the member 10. After such diametrically opposite points are passed, the ring 11 will snap free of the cylindrical member 19.

The central projecting portion 19 serves as a stop to limit the downward movement of the plate 14. Thus, the end 20 of the projecting portion 19 will engage the top of the cylindrical member 16 to limit the downward movement and thus the degree to which the legs 15 and 16 are biased apart.

From the foregoing description, it will be evident that a split ring may be removed which might be disposed in an inaccessible or awkward location in the event a conventional type of snap ring removing tool were to be employed. Thus, if projections adjacent to the cylindrical member iii prevented rotation of an arcuate type ring remover, the tool of this invention could enable the removal of the ring whereas other conventional type tools would be ineffective.

in addition, because the ends 12 and 13 of the ring 1?. are engaged simultaneously, rotation of the ring about the cylindrical member 10 is prevented even if the ring were free to rotate. Thus, the tool provides advantages not realizable by certain types of resently known are shaped tools.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, minor modifications that fall clearly within the scope and spirit of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art. The split ring removing tool is therefore not to be thought of as limited to the exact shape and contour set forth merely for illustrative purposes.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved split ring removing tool comprising: an elongated flat plate of resilient material having longitudinally extending legs forming an integral continuation of opposite sides of said plate, the inside edges of said legs being parallel throughout the entire length of said legs; and a central projecting portion constituting an integral part of said plate extending in the same direction as said legs and disposed therebetween, said projecting portion terminating short of the ends of said legs by a given distance, so that said legs may be positioned to straddle a cylindrical member to which said split ring is secured between the ends of said split ring such that the ends of said legs respectively engage the ends of said ring, downward movement of said plate resulting in said cylindrical member biasing said legs apart against the natural resiliency thereof as the ends of said legs push on the ends of said ring and follow said ends to circumferentially expand said ring until the ends of said ring distance is at least equal to the radius of said cylindrical member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,104,028 Watson July 21, 1914 2,201,091 Hehir May 14, 1940 2,835,028 Wurzel May 20, 1958 

1. AN IMPROVED SPLIT RING REMOVING TOOL COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED FLAT PLATE OF RESILIENT MATERIAL HAVING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING LEGS FORMING AN INTEGRAL CONTINUATION OF OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PLATE, THE INSIDE EDGES OF SAID LEGS BEING PARALLEL THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID LEGS; AND A CENTRAL PROJECTING PORTION CONSTITUTING AN INTEGRAL PART OF SAID PLATE EXTENDING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS SAID LEGS AND DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN, SAID PROJECTING PORTION TERMINATING SHORT OF THE ENDS OF SAID LEGS BY A GIVEN DISTANCE, SO THAT SAID LEGS MAY BE POSITIONED TO STRADDLE A CYLINDRICAL MEMBER TO WHICH SAID SPLIT RING IS SECURED BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID SPLIT RING SUCH THAT THE ENDS OF SAID LEGS RESPECTIVELY ENGAGE THE ENDS OF SAID RING, DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID PLATE RESULTING IN SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER BIASING SAID LEGS APART AGAINST THE NATURAL RESILIENCY THEREOF AS THE ENDS OF SAID LEGS PUSH ON THE ENDS OF SAID RING AND FOLLOW SAID ENDS TO CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXPAND SAID RING UNTIL THE ENDS OF SAID RING PASS DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE POINTS ON SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER AND SNAP FREE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER. 